As 2014 comes to an end, we look back at, what I think, was a pretty good year! The investments we made in 2013 toward new software and banking systems has really paid off – supporting better management and decision-making. This has demanded some retraining and rethinking by staff and by our contractors, but we are all working smarter now. We thank all of our vendors and you, our members, for your support through this transition. We have also seen our electronic e-Bulletin really take-off from barely 1,000 subscribers to now over 3,000 readers and we are pushing for 5,000!

As of our Annual General Meeting of November 19th, CWWA has a new President in the person of Mike Darbyshire. Mike is the General Manager at the Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission (ACRWC) and has been serving the CWWA for the last two years as our Second Vice President then First Vice President. Mike says he is looking forward to an exciting 2015 as CWWA introduces its new consolidated conference strategy.

Be sure to mark your calendar for CWWA’s first National Water and Wastewater Conference. The Conference is scheduled for October 25-28 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler – an amazing venue that will bring our delegates together in one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

If you weren’t able to attend the 16th National Conference on Drinking Water, or want to revisit the opening plenary we’re pleased to share with you video footage of the Conference opening. During the plenary leading water expert Larry Moore interviewed author Ralph Pentland co-author of the recent book Down the Drain: How We are Failing to Protect Our Water Resources. In his book Ralph challenges Canada’s water regulation and management .

The Canadian Water and Wastewater Association’s Climate Change Committee hosted a National Climate Change Technical Workshop in conjunction with the National Drinking Water conference on October 28th. The workshop, titled "Working Together to Adapt to Climate Change," featured presenters from government agencies, from the private sector, and from academia. Each presenter brought a unique knowledge base and provided great insight into their experience with adapting to climate change.

CWWA’s Climate Change Committee has formed a sub-committee focussed on engagement of our members. To further its goals, this sub-committee created a national survey questionnaire to obtain current information on the needs and concerns of the Canadian Water and Wastewater sector.

Are you a water champion that provides solutions and services which save energy, water, and costs?

Have you helped improve water management on local or regional scales?

Do you have a water technology that has far-reaching impacts in Canada and abroad?

Water Canada wants to celebrate YOU! We’re looking to honour the achievements and ideas of individuals and companies that have successfully worked to change water culture while providing guidance and inspiring others in the local and international water communities.

A Canadian delegation led by Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq joined policymakers from 195 countries this month to negotiate a legally binding international climate change agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

The Chief Justice of the Court of Queen‘s Bench of Alberta has ruled Alberta Environment can be sued for failing to properly investigate and remediate water contamination allegedly caused by Encana's hydraulic fracturing activities near Rosebud, Alberta.

A number of miscellaneous amendments to O. Reg. 387/04 Water Taking under the Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) was filed November 27, 2014 and were published in the December 13, 2014 edition of The Ontario Gazette.

• The Waterworks and Sewage Works Regulations. The regulations place requirements on informing new and existing employees of the conditions of permits. The regulations address, in part: sewage treatment facilities; waterworks; requirements for suppliers of water for hygienic use; operation of facilities associated with waterworks; water samples and tests; and certification.

Water CanadaWhen McGill professor and researcher Viviane Yargeau used to visit wastewater treatment stations to explain her work on controlling contaminants of emerging concern, municipalities were doubtful. With thousands of new compounds out there, did she really expect them to ever have the resources to monitor them all?

WateronlineWisconsin's capital city is wading into one of the water sector's most controversial questions: Should it fluoridate its water. The city's water supply has been fluoridated since the 1940s, but the issue went up for discussion at recent water board meetings.

WateronlineNew research suggests arsenic in drinking water might curb the threat of breast cancer. A new study by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile "has linked the chemical element with a 50 percent drop in breast cancer deaths," the Daily Mail reported.

Water CanadaAlberta Provincial Court has ordered Norellco Contractors Ltd. to pay $185,000 after the company released chlorinated water into the Sturgeon River. Norellco pleaded guilty to one count of an offence under the Fisheries Act.

CanadianmanufacturingTORONTO—The University of Toronto (U of T) is receiving $5 million in funding from the federal government to help launch a network aimed at supporting and advancing green manufacturing technologies.

Times-ColonistLess than half of Vancouver Island’s nearly 900 water systems comply with Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines — just one of many issues making water a continuing public health challenge, says a special report released Tuesday. - See more at: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/island-water-systems-falling-short-of-standards-report-says-1.1635361#sthash.ZP27z6uj.dpuf

The VarsitySince September 2011, the sale of bottled water has been banned at the University of Toronto’s St. George Campus. As a result, continuous access to water can require prudent, strategic planning.

The ProvinceThe water burbles out of the earth carrying evidence of its underground voyage.It’s come from depths of up to five kilometres, bringing plenty of heat, gas and chemicals with it. Bright green and orange mats of micro-organisms grow on rocks where the water tumbles from the thermal springs in the mountains adjacent to areas of active hydraulic fracturing in northeastern B.C. and the southern Yukon.

Renewable Energy from WasteThe Energy from Coffee Wastewater project by UTZ Certified, Amsterdam, says it has proven that is possible to generate energy, tackle climate change and protect water resources by treating discharges from coffee mills, according to the program. The project started in 2010 with the goal of addressing environmental and health problems caused by the wastewater produced in the coffee industry.

Water OnlineFluoride is added to the tap water supply in most major U.S. cities, but one region stands out when it comes to bucking this standard. "Oklahoma health officials are concerned about fewer communities adding fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay, to their water," according to the Associated Press.

CBC.caProtection of drinking water is one of the items that Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk explores in her annual report, released yesterday.Lysyk criticized the Ministry of the Environment for its slow pace in approving source water protection plans.

Water OnlineTreated wastewater could be a major asset during California's historic drought, but are people ready to drink it?That's the question KALW reporter Audrey Dilling brought with her on a recent tour of the Silicon Valley Water Purification Center, which takes in treated wastewater and turns it into something drinkable.

Water OnlineAs the United States forecast a surge in energy demand and consumption over the winter period, Biwater and NeoTech Aqua team up to highlight their energy-saving work in California, centred on a new and innovative water reuse demonstration project with the Padre Dam Municipal Water District.